The question of who exactly fixed whom at the International Criminal Court has become a hot political potato.
Much as Deputy William Ruto and his allies have claimed Cord leader Raila Odinga was behind his woes, that accusation remains limited to the realm of political rhetoric.
While the common view has always been that Raila was behind the fixing, Ruto has told the court a totally different story.
Ruto has previously claimed top PNU officials and close confidants of retired President Kibaki fixed him over the 2007 post-election violence.
Officially, in the courtroom in The Hague, Ruto has never claimed that opposition chief Raila fixed him – challenging his own political lieutenants’ local narrative.
In October 2013, Ruto’s defence team named the DP's alleged “fixers”, some of whom were and remain in top positions in the UhuruRuto Administration.
Ruto’s counsel Shyamala Alagendra linked then Interior Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo, Senior Political Adviser to the President Nancy Gitau and former Justice Minister Karua to the scheme to get Ruto.
In President Kibaki’s government, Gitau served as Director of Political Affairs in the Office of the President while Iringo was Deputy Permanent Secretary, Internal Security.
Alagendra said after the bloodletting that followed the bungled 2007 presidential polls, the three top government officials led the conspiracy that held Ruto was the architect of the violence that rocked the Rift Valley.
During cross-examination of the third prosecution witness, Alagendra said the officials coached and bribed witnesses who would later testify before the Commission of Inquiry on Post-Election Violence led by Justice Philip Waki in August 2008.
PNU, Alagendra said, used lawyers Kamotho Waiganjo, currently a member of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution, Njenga Mwangi, Peter Maundu and George Morara, who was in the Vijana na Kibaki lobby group.
According to the defence, the lawyers and government officials who identified witnesses to present to the Waki Commission were assisted by former Assistant Minister Stephen Tarus, Abraham Limo, Bethwell Ruto and William Rono.
“Madam Witness, did you hear that some PNU and government officials wanted to link Mr William Ruto to the violence?” Alagendra asked during cross-examination.
And the witness, part of the Warembo na Kibaki (Beauties for Kibaki) lobby group that had drummed up support for the then president’s bid for a second term, replied: Yes.
Alagendra: Did you know that they wanted to blame Mr Ruto, regardless of the truth?
Witness: Yes.
Alagendra: That they wanted to fix him [Ruto] even though he had nothing to do with it?
Witness: Yes.
Soon after Ruto made the claims, Kericho Senator Charles Keter returned from The Hague and demanded the officials named in court resign from the government.
“It is a shame that the same people who wanted to fix Ruto are sitting comfortably in government. How do you serve the government of the person who wanted to jail you? These people went to great lengths to send people to the ICC to give false testimony against Ruto,” he said.
In 2009, Ruto came out and openly and opposed the formation of a local tribunal, saying the ICC was best placed to handle the matter.
Ruto, who was Agriculture minister then, demanded the secret envelope containing the names of the PEV suspects, then in the custody of mediator Kofi Annan, be handed over to the ICC without further delay.
Earlier the same year, Ruto's troops shot down a government motion proposing a special local tribunal, alleging the Waki Report targeted those who complained about the outcome of the 2007 general election.
SOURCE: The Star Kenya
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